


When Dawn Comes...

by HollowMachines



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Endgame, M/M, OG ending, Post Game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-18 18:38:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13106169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HollowMachines/pseuds/HollowMachines
Summary: In a selfish bout of turmoil he allowed himself to curse the dawn, for it had stolen something more precious to him than any day.





	When Dawn Comes...

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I actually wrote this a couple months after the game came out, but have been sitting on it for almost a year now due to anxiety. Plus I felt like I was writing Ignis a little too OOC, but then Episode Ignis happened and, well...  
> So no spoilers, but there may be some small inconsistencies. But here we are, my first fic for this fandom.  
> Also if anyone cares I was inspired by the songs Still Here by Digital Daggers and Hurts Like Hell by Fleurie. If you haven't heard them, give them a listen and prepare your heart.

It was odd; this silence. Over ten years, it had become something of a commodity for Ignis. He was so keenly aware of the noise of the world around him after he’d lost his sight, and yet for the first time in a long time, it was stifling; more so because he was sharing the room with naught but a corpse.

Prompto and Gladio had done their best to describe the throne room to him after all was said and done. Ignis had listened as they told him about Noctis, slumped on the throne, run through by his father’s sword.

He never dreamed there’d come a day when he’d thank the gods for his blindness. Yet the image it had conjured was forever etched into his mind.

He could feel the warmth of the light through the crumbled walls of the Citadel.

The sun had risen.

Noctis was dead.

Gladio had left the room first, and Ignis could sense the tension coming off him as they brushed shoulders. Would he grieve? Of course, but not around the others; he was too proud for that.

Prompto had left soon after, sniffling and trying the wipe the remains of the tears from his face.

“I…” He’d come to stand beside Ignis, placing a hand on his arm.

“Will you be okay if I…? I mean…”

Ignis lifted his head slightly. “I’ll be alright on my own.”

There wasn’t much noise but Ignis could assume Prompto had nodded.

“Right. It’s you, after all.”

His tone was just as Ignis would have expected from someone who’d just lost his best friend.

The three of them had fought valiantly through the remaining night waiting for Noctis to bring the dawn and save the world, but it had left them all exhausted, bruised, and battered. Emotions were already worn thin by the time they had finally found him upon his throne.

Ignis’ hands still remembered his daggers, weapons he could no longer will away. In the end they remained a heavy and horrid reminder in his palms. He’d dropped them outside, content to leave them there to rust.

Now, all alone in the throne room and stifled by the stillness, he mustered what was left of his strength and stepped forward. He approached the steps to the throne, careful of his footing among the rubble of the crumbled walls.

Last time he’d been here, the three of them had fallen there by a trick of the Chancellor’s to keep them from his fight with Noctis. To be so easily subdued after they’d longed to fight beside their king again was sickening. Then there was the fear that had gripped Ignis’ heart upon waking to an empty room; the horrible realization that Noctis may have already…

No. He had returned. They had reunited once more, to say goodbye.

Ignis let his hand reach out as he took the steps gracefully until he was at the top. There he paused, his heartbeat loud in his ears. His hand was shaking. With a heavy sigh Ignis steeled himself and dropped his hand slowly to the arm of the throne. He was a little surprised to feel the cold marble under his palm, half-expecting to have miscalculated, but it seemed his memories of the room were sound after all this time.

His hand slid up the stone, and bumped something.

Ignis’ throat tightened. “Noct.”

Carefully, as if handling glass, Ignis drew his fingers up and over Noct’s still hand. With no feeling of life through the touch, Ignis felt his emotions swelling, daring to crack the perfect composure he’d struggled to maintain up until now.

He was not supposed to crumble, as per his duty to Noctis; his friend, his king.

But what good was that now?

Ignis clenched his jaw hard, ignoring the painful grinding of his teeth. His eyes burned as if the scars across the skin were fresh and raw.

“Noct,” He moved his fingers to grip Noctis’ frozen hand. “I’m so sorry.”

A breeze blew through the hall, warm with the heat of the sun. Ignis hated it. In a selfish bout of turmoil he allowed himself to curse the dawn, for it had stolen something more precious to him than any day.

Like a whisper on the air, a faded memory, he could hear Noct’s voice still so young and hopeful. Not the man ten years older that Ignis would never see, but the young man he’d spent a lifetime with.

_What are you apologising for?_

Everything.

For not letting you sleep more, for trying to sneak vegetables into your food, for reprimanding you about your schoolwork, for accusing you of neglecting your duties, for complaining when you were out too late, for your apartment always being so disastrous, for not accepting you sooner…

Ignis let out a dejected laugh. Those were all too small; too distant. He had much more to atone for.

“There was much I wish I’d done for you,” Ignis spoke as if telling a secret. “Your father left you in my care, and as your friend I was happy to stand beside you. But in the end I could not protect you.”

Of course not. Regis knew all along what awaited his son, and he had sent him on his way nonetheless. He’d sent his own son to his death like a lamb to slaughter. Yet any anger Ignis may have felt died quickly during their last night spent together.

“You may think me foolish, Noct.” Ignis felt his knees shaking. “It hurts you to see others sacrifice themselves for you. But know that I would have, if it meant I could keep you safe. Even if it meant you would hate me, I would be satisfied with the knowledge you were alive.”

Finally his legs gave in and he crumbled. Noct’s lifeless hand slid from his grip as his knees struck the floor painfully.

“I failed you.” Ignis hissed. “I could do nothing for you in the end, could I? There was no way I could shoulder such a destiny for you.”

With a violent wrench of his hand, Ignis ripped his visor from his face and tossed them across the floor. He pressed a palm to his eyes as tears began to well until one finally slipped down his face.

For once, Ignis was without a clear vision of the future. His life had been in the Crown City, serving a boy with the world on his shoulders. He was destined to stand at Noctis’ side forever; there wasn’t supposed to be a part of his life without him.

The Astrals must find some sick humour in tragedies. After all, he’d waited ten years, and for what?

“Noct… What am I supposed to do now?”

_"You move on. You carry on like you always have."_

Ignis flinched as the familiar voice resonated through the throne room.

_"That’s what you would tell me, right?"_

“Noct…”

In any other moment Ignis would have let rationale tell him he was hallucinating due to exhaustion and grief, but he couldn’t help the comfort he felt in hearing that voice again. If for even one moment he could imagine Noctis was still there, he would cling to it. He would allow himself some naiveté.

_"I told you I’d made my peace. But my one regret… was leaving you guys behind."_

Something about the room changed, feeling unnatural as if reality itself had twisted. It was neither hot nor cold, and the distant sounds from outside the citadel had gone quiet. Ignis could no longer sense any distinct light, nor could he make out the surface he was kneeling on. He focused intently, feeling for anything to explain the disturbance and the strange sensation of no longer being alone.

In spite of all this, he didn’t feel threatened. Rather, he felt at ease.

A sliver of cold brushed across his cheeks and he lifted his head, though the action didn’t feel entirely his own. He could sense something there before him, like an ethereal presence. The cold on his face didn’t freeze nor did it hurt, rather it tingled across his skin like a caress. The pain in his body dissipated in waves, leaving nothing but much needed relief.

Ignis’ heart swelled. He knew this feeling. He could never mistake it.

“Noct, how…?”

_"I don’t have long."_

The voice was no longer an echo. It sounded so real Ignis could imagine the prince was truly before him, alive and well. If only he could see… no. Perhaps, for once, it was better not to know. The illusion was surely a fragile one; something easily broken.

“Noct, is this the doing of the Astrals?”

The very air trembled around him, though what it meant Ignis could only guess.

_"I don’t know. It’s just… It’s like I could hear you."_

“The dawn has come, Noct.” Ignis said, anguish evident in his voice. “You should be at peace.”

_"I know."_

Whatever was happening now was just too cruel.

_"I guess… I had something I still needed to do."_

Ignis wanted to scream. He’d done enough, why couldn’t the world let him rest?

_"Hey, can you tell the others something for me?"_

Ignis’ breath hitched only a moment, but he was quick to compose himself.

“I could bring them here, though I’m not sure they’d believe me.” Ignis still wasn’t sure what was happening and in truth, he feared what would happen if he moved. He didn’t want to risk shattering this bittersweet dream he’d found himself in.

_"No, probably not a good idea. I don’t… know how much time I’ve got. And I don’t really like the idea of being left alone."_

Ignis’ body tensed and he bowed his head to hide his pained expression. “Right.”

_"Just, tell Prompto and Gladio… they don’t have to worry about me. I’ll always be with them."_

“I shall.”

He would do anything for Noctis in life, why should death be any different?

_"And that goes for you too, Ignis."_

It was getting hard to breathe. Swallowing hurt. He couldn’t speak. He could feel tears welling up again, but made no move to clear them.

The cold returned to his face once more, this time clearly the sensation of hands cupping his cheeks and drawing his head up. In a weak act of desperation Ignis moved his hands to clasp at where he assumed Noct’s own would be, and was surprised to feel solid contact. He was quick to slide his fingers along the smooth, cold skin and tighten his hold.

“Noct, forgive me.” It was all Ignis could say, over and over like a mantra; a plea. All the while the cold embrace tried to sooth him.

_"I should be saying that to you."_

Ignis squeezed his eye shut. Noct’s voice was so clear in his ear, so real.

_"I never did thank you for all you’ve done for me. I don’t know where I’d be without you. Losing my dad, and Luna… after Altissia I thought I was gonna lose you too."_

“I never wished you that pain.” Ignis said. “All I wanted was to save with you. To stay with you.”

_"Until the very end. I know. I just wish I’d realized it sooner."_

Ignis shook his head. He didn’t want Noctis to be burdened with knowing more than that; knowing the truth. He didn’t want him to know that to Ignis, he wasn’t just losing a friend, a comrade, or a king. Noctis was so much more to him.

Yet he couldn’t bring himself to deny it.

“Noct, I would have followed you anywhere, to the ends of the earth. I would have died with you; for you.”

_"I know. That’s why I couldn’t let you go with me. I couldn’t do that to you."_

Ignis found himself pulled forward slightly, and something cold pressed gently to his head.

_"I don’t have much time left."_

Ignis tightened his grip on the ethereal form in his hands.

_"I just couldn’t leave you like this, now could I?"_

“Noct, I-"

There was a soft press of cold flesh against his mouth. Ignis leaned forward, eager to feel all he could of this fleeting moment, an embrace he’d only dreamed of, and that could never truly be real. Years of carefully guarded emotions burst like a dam, and Ignis could only hold tighter to the form in his hands in an attempt to relish this treasure he’d been given. He didn’t want to question if it was real, because it surely was to him. Even if this Noctis was nothing but an echo, he was enough, and he was here.

Ignis would not question if this was an apology, or sympathy, or maybe, just maybe, he could hope it had some level of truth to it. This kiss was so many things left unsaid, and feelings left buried and hidden away. Whatever Noctis felt didn’t need to be said, and Ignis was content with that.

Then the pliant feeling of flesh under his lips pulled away, and Ignis was left shivering and numb. He heard Noctis’ voice again, sullen and so very close.

_"I know. I know now, and I’m sorry."_

When the cold of Noct’s hands started pulling away, Ignis couldn’t help how his own followed.

“Noct, you can’t…”

Can’t what? He couldn’t ask him to stay.

_"Ignis, I need you to know… it’s not your fault."_

Ignis let his hands fall lifeless to his sides. “But in the end… it wasn’t enough.”

_"You’ve done enough, Ignis. More than enough."_

“Yet I still lost you.”

_"It was my fate."_

“But it wasn’t your choice,” Ignis said through gritted teeth, a hand clasping at his chest.

_"No, it wasn’t. But what could I do? I’m just sorry I made you hurt so much. This is the last thing I wanted for you. If things had been different…"_

Ignis shook his head with a dejected sigh. “If you had known how I felt, nothing would have changed. I was happily resigned to my fate, because it meant I could remain at your side.”

There was a long silence. He could feel Noctis fading; the space around him wavering.

_"And I was happy you were there."_

Ignis felt himself crying again. He brought a hand to his face, over his mouth, fearing the words that might come spilling out.

_"I’ve got to go now. I’m out of time."_

Ignis shook his head, as if he alone could defy fate.

_"I’ll see you guys again someday."_

“Noct…”

_"And you better have good long lives to tell me about, you hear?"_

Noctis…”

_"I’ll be waiting."_

“Noct!”

Ignis was on his feet in an instant as the tension in the air snapped like a thread. The cold was gone, the floor was solid under his feet, and the sounds of birds chirping outside reached his ears once more. Warm rays of sunlight came beaming through the hall, almost burning against his face. It all felt wrong, yet Ignis knew that this was reality.

When he reached out, he felt nothing but the cold hand of a dead king.

Snatching his visor from its discarded place on the ground, Ignis slid it back over his face and turned his back to the throne. He couldn’t stay here anymore. He took the steps shakily, kneeling so long having left his legs sore. At the last steps, he paused. He lifted his head to the bright blue sky he could imagine awaited him overhead.

Outside was the world Noct died to save. The world of light he’d been destined to rule. How could Ignis begrudge such a thing? If he truly loved Noctis, he would find a way to keep this world of his alive and well. He would do right by him as much in death as he wished he could of in life. Together with the others he would see his dreams come to fruition, and the world prosper once more.

He would see Noctis remembered.


End file.
